Serena Williams: Female tennis players deserve equal prize money

Regarded as a rich person’s sport, Tennis is fast proving to be so. Elena Vesnina lost to Serena Williams in the 49 minute Wimbledon semi-final, but there’s a lot that she did not lose out on. She won GBP 500,000.

Williams’ quick demolition of her opponent came after the day Andy Murray pulled off a shocker by beating world no.1 Novak Djokovic.

The women’s semi-final sparked outrage with fans complaining that women players do not deserve as much prize money as men. It was justified by the fact that the match between Murray and Djokovic went up to five sets and the women’s semi-final lasted only two sets (49 minutes).

Serena hit back saying that she puts in the same amount of effort as her male counterparts in preparation for her matches.

When a reporter asked her if she thinks she deserves to be paid as much as men, she responded with a counter-question, asking him if he thinks he deserves as much as one of the other reporters present at the press conference.

Vesnina also defended and justified herself receiving equal prize money for her semi-final defeat as her male counterparts, despite the fact that quarter-finals played by Federer against Marin Cilic and Murray against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga lasting more than three hours.

The 29-year-old (world ranked 50), who also appeared in Playboy, said that it doesn’t matter what the match scores are. The effort that goes into making a women’s champion is the same as that goes into making a men’s champion.

Former Tennis players from both the sexes have strongly defended the prize money offered.

Serena Williams is arguably the greatest women’s tennis player of all time, and as is believed by the veterans who commented, she deserves just as much money and fame as men.